by Ellen Mulqueen It’s happened to me several times. I get a phone call from a reference checker, asking about a “Suzy Smith.” It comes out of the blue, and the name seems familiar, but I can’t quite place it.

Finally the employer says, “She said she worked for you at XYZ from 1992 through 1995.”

Ah, yes, now I remember “Suzy.” She was a secretary, and she was great. I say good things about her, but how much better my reference might have been if I had recognized her name immediately and had had time to reflect on her job.

REMIND FORMER EMPLOYERS AND CO-WORKERS

Whenever you’re ready to submit a list of references for a job, first contact the people you want to list. You’ll want to

  • Remind them who you are and when you worked for/with them.
  • Let them know what you’ve been up to lately, and send them a resume.
  • Make sure you have up-to-date information on where they are now, so that you can provide accurate contact information to potential employers.

Occasionally, a person you selected for a reference might refuse to give you one. I can remember one co-worker who called me to ask whether he could use my name. I told him I really didn’t know him well enough. Sure, we both worked for the same employer, but we didn’t work together. All I’d be able to say was that, to my knowledge he worked there from 1998 to 2002. On another occasion, a secretary who was one of the worst workers I’ve ever known was fired for good cause. She called asking for a reference. Again, I was honest, and told her as nicely as possible that I couldn’t give her a good reference.

Difficult as it is to hear these things, it’s better for you to hear it than for your potential employer to hear it.

IF YOU DIDN’T GET ALONG WITH YOUR BOSS

If you and your boss didn’t get along, whom can you use for a reference? Perhaps you can use a co-worker, especially if NO ONE got along with the boss. Your co-worker may know that you did a good job and can say good things about you. Depending on the circumstances, perhaps your boss’ boss can give you a good reference.

Some years ago, I received a huge bonus for some special work I’d done. My original boss then left and was replaced by the “boss from hell,” who refused to renew my contract after one year to cover her tracks (She claimed to her boss that she couldn’t get her work done because she had to do my job for me). I talked with her boss, who said he didn’t know who was right, but would let the decision stand. He said that I could use him as a reference, and quite a few other upper level administrators offered to be references, as well. A year later, as SHE was being fired, the “big boss” told me that they should have fired her at first instead of me.

With the help of references from people other than the “boss from hell,” I was able to land another, better position right away.

IF YOUR WORK HISTORY IS POOR

If you really did a bad job at your last place of employment, perhaps you can use people from former jobs.

If you’ve always had a bad track record from jobs, it’s time to re-assess yourself and decide whether you’re in the wrong field or whether you need some training. Perhaps you have a weak work ethic, and need to turn that around. A career coach may be able to help you make some career decisions to put you on the right track. With the right job, you may become a “star.”